Our goal is to build respectable hockey for our fans, said Contratto, who coached the New Zealand U-18 womens national team, with his wife, Alexi, as his assistant. Who: Brandon Contratto, associate head coach and general manager of soon-to-be named Federal Hockey League expansion team in St. Clair Shores. "Here in the FPHL we'll build a team the community can rally behind, get to know, be active in the community," Donner said. With a 40 lead and less than 10 minutes to go, Jesse Felten and Matt Puntureri squared off at center ice, and as punches would have been thrown, both players hugged it out instead. The league is expanding from seven teams to 10. "', The new ownership group are currently working to transition former Devils' employees to join the new. On January 27, 2013, the first game in FHL history to be completed with no penalties was played between the New York Bluefins and the Danville Dashers at Palmer Arena in Danville, Illinois, a 74 Danville win officiated by referee Matt Spaeth. Clair Shores is a huge hockey community, said Contratto, who participated in the U.S. Mens National University team in 2011 and later suited up for Czech Republic team HC Banik Karvina of the Czech 2 Liga. The following week, the league announced another expansion team in Mentor, Ohio, called the Mentor Ice Breakers to bring the league back to six teams. Port Huron would sweep the regular season champion Danbury Titans for the Commissioner's Cup. WGLT depends on financial support from users to bring you stories and interviews like this one. [44] On July 15, during the team's inaugural booster club meeting, Danbury Titans ownership confirmed that the league had re-organized and they will own the new Brewster team (formerly announced as the Stateline Whalers); Barry Soskin will continue to own the Danville Dashers and Port Huron Prowlers, but no longer be involved in Brewster. Dayton Demonz forward Ahmed Mahfouz led the league in scoring and was the league's Most Valuable Player. A couple of us know, said Contratto. This will mark the fourth incarnation of pro hockey in Elmira. After the Federal Hockey League announced that the league would expand to Brewster in a press conference at the Brewster Ice Arena, the new team announced its name: the Stateline Whalers. Rural Hall officials violated state law, audit finds. We are going to keep prices of tickets to games at around $10, and well generate income from beer sales. Professional hockey is coming back to Elmira in a Mammoth way. The playoffs were not held in 2020 and the Commissioner's Cup was not awarded as the league championship in 2021 due to a limited season, instead they awarded the Ignite Cup. When the schedule was released for the season, the Fighting Saints were listed with home games in Gravenhurst, Ontario, Tmiscaming, Quebec, South River, Ontario, and Kingsville, Ontario. He played for the Minnesota North Stars and Boston Bruins from 1979 to 1988. The 3,000-seat Annex would also be the smallest arena in the SPHL and the 2,192 average the Thunderbirds have this season would rank last in the SPHL. Ultimately if an AHL team comes, were hockey people, we understand. IDA Chairman David Sheen praised Donner and his staff for the work they have done at First Arena. Copyright 2023 Federal Prospects Hockey League. company and will place an early focus on reaching out to all current corporate partners and season ticket holders. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. The team will play at Civic Arena. According to the Federal League's website, average attendance for the 2019-20 season in what was then a 10-team league ranged from 3,077 in Elmira to 353 in Battle Creek, Michigan. Visions banks on Binghamton's Arena, but will public investment pay off for taxpayers? "A lot of our fans were already going to Binghamton watching them play this year. The former Birmingham Brother Rice hockey star will instead be immersed in his new role as associate head coach and general manager of a new expansion minor league hockey team coming to St. Clair Shores this fall. Between May and July 2019, the league announced four expansion teams: the Battle Creek Rumble Bees of Battle Creek, Michigan; the Columbus River Dragons of Columbus, Georgia; the Danbury Hat Tricks of Danbury, Connecticut; and the Delaware Thunder of Harrington, Delaware. So close. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Marion elaborated on the countys stance regarding hoped-forreturn of affiliated hockey. "We want to introduce ourselves and our product to as many fans and partners as we possibly can, and. [32], On April 17, 2015, the Steel City Warriors announced that it had suspended operations, stating that the team was unable to find a suitable home arena, but had hopes to return for the 201617 season. Every time weve been successful, its been what Ive wanted to see out there.. [33], Also in April 2015, the FHL lost a lawsuit in which the league was ordered to pay former player Kyler Moje a sum of $800,000, after Moje became legally blind due to an injury incurred during a game on February 10, 2012. The Delaware Thunder also withdrew while the Mentor Ice Breakers folded entirely. The attendance at the game was 1,709. Passingham then attacked the fan before they were eventually separated. The City Council has approved plans, Doppke said. [70] In the same press conference, FHL commissioner Kirnan confirmed that North Shore was not returning. I was born on skates around here. Welcome to the home of the Federal Hockey League, an internet hockey league established in 1997. Our style of hockey is one that sits very well with fans, he said. At the end of March, the Knights released all players and staff. There will definitely be a hockey team here next year and right now we are in the Federal Hockey League, Brand said. Secretary Walsh will be replacing Don Fehr, perhaps the most effective players' union leader in the history of sports. [53] Hara Arena would end up closing permanently in August 2016. Continue with Recommended Cookies, May 12, 2021 - Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) News Release, The Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) and Carousel Sports, LLC are excited to announce the. But they view this as an opportunity right now., Yes, Marion said. Tell me what more I am looking for? Dayton captain Brian Marks scored in overtime to force a fourth game, which Dayton also won. The Magic were to play at the Rostraver Ice Garden in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania. So I encourage everybody to get out and support our team.". I think it speaks very highly of Bloomington, said Renner. What I bring to the table is the fact that Im a fan. At one point, the league website listed teams called the Baldwinsville Bandits, Elmira Express, Newark Diamonds, Palmyra Battalion, Syracuse Crush, and Watertown Whalers. Were going to have every intention to work together as friendly rivals to really stoke that rivalry up and get fans traveling back and forth.". They would prefer it not be one year. June 28, 2021. I think this is win, win, win and win.. The first game is scheduled for October 13, 2022, with the Motor City Rockers taking on the Port Huron Prowlers. Follow him on Twitter @mikebrudenell. I want to make sure its what I want. Soskin, who lives in the Chicago suburbs, said the new franchise has a multi-year agreement with the arena and will conduct a name the team contest to help establish a strong fan base. In the second round, Danbury and Carolina were swept by Columbus and Watertown respectively. [19][20][21], The FHL awarded a new franchise to play in Southwest Pennsylvania to begin play in the 201415 season, named the Southwest Pennsylvania Magic. For female-pattern hair loss, see. [68] By December 2017, the Knights would forfeit or attempt to reschedule most of their home games before the team would forfeit all remaining home games after February 11. The FHL began operations in November 2010. We have other markets that were working on that geographically work very well for this area, said Kirnan. The FHL is a professional minor league organization with teams in the northeastern U.S. and the Midwest. Don Kirnan is the league's commissioner. Danville is closest to Bloomington among the 10 current franchises; other teams are based in New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Ohio, Michigan, Georgia and North Carolina. [14] This venture was unsuccessful as the team folded on January 21, 2013, only to be resurrected by the league as the Pennsylvania Blues, a travel team that played four road games to fill in other teams' home schedules for the remainder of the season. In the event another AHL team could come here you want the building ready, and in order to keep it ready youve got to use it, everything from the Zambonis to the ice-making system. As the latest franchise to join the Federal Hockey League, the team will make its home at Civic Arena on Stephens Road in St. Clair Shores where Miracle on Ice Olympian Mark Wells got his start. The city is talking about getting some money for the glass and the boards, Brand said about the rink. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. The new franchise will be the first pro team to call the arena home since the Southern Professional Hockey Leagues Thunder (originally the Blaze) folded in 2014. Elmira was barred from their arena, as the team's lease ended with First Arena and the CCIDA, which put the Enforcers dormant for the 2021-22 season. On November 19, 2020, the Federal Prospects Hockey League announced that a new tentative start date for the league would be January 15, 2021. During the season, the league approved of the Vermilion County Bobcatsas a 2021-22 expansion team based in Danville, Illinois. The game was immediately cancelled by the officials, and subsequently led the FHL's officiating supervisor resigning from the league and pulling all the referees from the FHL citing the need to protect his personnel. I certainly know there are hockey fans that will help fill this building. An expansion team named the Binghamton Black Bears has agreed to terms with the league and the. [103] Virginia FPHL team is slated to be in Wytheville, Virginia. The two teams played each other 18 times this season and from the looks of it were tired of each other, which led to the gloves coming off. He featured in the 1981 Stanley Cup Finals with the North Stars and the 1988 Stanley Cup . Back in Dayton for game three, the Demonz sported new jerseys. [31], On April 3, 2015, the Danbury Ice Arena announced that it did not want to renew its contract with the Danbury Whalers and gave them a notice to evict by April 17, leaving the last remaining team from the inaugural FHL season homeless. On June 27, it was reported that the FHL had approved of a new team Danbury, Connecticut, to replace the now departed Whalers. [4], A handful of National Hockey League players and draft picks joined the ranks, most notably Pierre Dagenais and Billy Tibbetts. While he was an associate at a Kansas City law firm in the mid-1970s, Mr. Fehr helped represent the Major League Baseball Players Association in the Andy . The Danville Dashers twice were the center of national sports attention, first in a brawl during a game against the Watertown Privateers in which a collision between Danville goalie Nick Niedert and Watertown enforcer Jeff Dill took place, sparking a brawl, and soon spilled between benches, and punches were briefly thrown between Danville coach Mike Kellermeyer and Privateers coach Brad Zangs. Please subscribe to keep reading. Al Kessler is the voice of the Thunderbirds, and every home and away game has been available on the radio or the teams web site. When asked if this is an entirely new franchise, Donner said that's still being sorted out. 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